Invertible field desk and file cabinet



F. T. PADEN INVERTIBLE FIELD DESK AND FILE CABINET Sept. 6, 1949.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1945 'INVENTOR. 7 7 7 7 0 BY Sept. 6, 1949.. F. T. PADEN 2,450,376

INVERTIBLE FIELD DESK AND FILE CABINET Filed March 20, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY G INVENTOR. H Pam/9p Patented Sept. 6, 1949 INVERTIBLE FIELD CAB Frederick DESK AND FILE INET T. Paden, United States Army, Collingswood, N. J.

Application March 20, 1945, Serial No. 583,832

3 Claims. (01. 45-69) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

' amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein, if patented may be manufactured and used'by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a combined field desk and file cabinet,-and has for its primary object to provide a file cabinet in the formof a trunk which may be readily converted into a field desk for Army use.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a file cabinet and pivoted closure, the latter being provided with a releasable brace or bracket which is so constructed as to support the closure in right angular relationship tothe cabinet body whether the latter is supported on one of its ends or the other. u

Another object of the invention consists in providing a file cabinet having a two-partclosure, one part to serve as a desk at the top of the .cabinet and the other part adapted to serve as an extensible base portion toinsure a firm foundation for the cabinet when set up for use in the field.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which, V

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined field desk and filing cabinet set up for use, and supported on a floor or thelike.;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of; the cabinet in closed position ready for shipment.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the cabinet in set-up position ready ior use, but being in an inverted position from that shown in Figure 1 and mounted upon another cabinet, table or the like.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view of one of the latches employed in the. cabinet, and,

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on lines 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the numeral I indicates the main body of the cabinet which is provided with a bottom 2, top 3, and sides 4, and is suitably reinforced in the manner of an ordinary trunk.

The front opening of the file cabinet is closed by closure members 5 and 6; the closure member 5 being relatively large so as to serve as a desk top, and closing the major portion of the front opening of the cabinet. The closure member 5 is relatively narrow and is hinged to the bottom portion 2 of the cabinet and is adapted to close the remainder of the front opening, and give added rigidity on the floor.

The closure members 5 and 6 when in position to close the front opening of the file cabinet may be locked by the elements I such as are employed in securing the closures of conventional trunks. When the closure members 5 and 6 are moved to horizontal position as indicated in Figure 1 so as to provide a field desk, they are supported by means of latches or brackets 8 and 9 respectively.

,The closure member 6 serves as an extensible base in the arrangement shown in Figure 1 and provides increased stability for the cabinet and desk top 5 when the latter may be serving as a support for a typewriter or other materials ordinarily placed upon desks.

In Figure 1 the combined cabinet and desk is shown as supported on the ground, whereas in Figure 3 the cabinet is shown in inverted position and mounted upon another cabinet or table Ill. The interior of the filing cabinet is provided with a plurality of ledges to slidably support containers or drawers ll of various shapes and sizes and the lower drawer (Fig. 3) may be used as a stool by one intending to use the cabinet as a desk. When the cabinet is inverted from one position to another, as illustrated in connection with Figures 1 and 3, it will be apparent that the various drawers H will first be withdrawn and then reinserted after the cabinet has been placed in its new position.

In order that the combined closure member and. desk top may be supported in horizontal position when the cabinet is in either of the two positions heretofore mentioned, the latches or brackets 8 and 9 cooperate with what may be termed double keepers l2 and the latch bars are provided with oppositely disposed abutment means, such as notches H for that purpose. Eachof the double keepers l2 consists of a body member or bracket and a pair of spaced pins M between which the latch bar 8 or 9 extends. This detailed construction is shown in enlarged form in Figures 4 and 5, and in its relation to the filing cabinet in Figure 1. From this disclosure it will be obvious that when the combined field desk and filing cabinet is set up for use as shown in Figure 1 the lower notch l3 of the latch member 9 will engage over the lower pin I4 of the double keeper, and thereby support the closure member 6 in rigid relation to the bottom 2 of the cabinet. Likewise, in Figure 1 the latches 8 will be positioned with their lower notches l3 engaging over the lower pins I' l of their respective keepers. In the arrangement shown in Figure 3 wherein the file cabinet is supported on an artificial base such as the table II] or the like, the opposite side I have devised a relatively simple arrangement 1'0 of combined filing cabinet and field desk which is suitable for the filing and transportation .of

papers, etc., and which either may be setup as a field desk directly upon the ground, .or may be inverted and mounted upon a table or another cabinet, and thus set up as an elevated :desk ably the mere reversal of the operation .of the ,latch members 3 and 9 with respect to their double keepers l2-l4.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described, what I now consider to be the pre- 'ferred form of construction, but it is obvious that various minor changes may be made in structural details without in anyway departing from the disclosed function ofthe invention, and it is intended that all Such details be included within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: I

1. A combined file cabinet "and field desk comprising a'bodyrportion having a top, bottom and sides and an "open front, a combined closure member and desk panel 'hinged to the top of the body portion so as to "be 'swingable between closure forming and desk forming positions, and a pivoted latch for supporting the desk panel in horizontal desk formin position when the body rests upon either its bottom or top, said "latch comprising a bar, keeper means slicla bly confining said bar, and oppositely'dispose'cl abutment means on said bar alternately and selectively engaging said keeper means, whereby-one of'said "abutment means engages a portion of said keeper means to support said panel in desk forming position when the body portion rests upon its bottom, and the other of said abutment means 'en- 'gages another portion of said keeper means to support said panel in desk forming position when the body portionrrests upon its'top.

2. A combined file cabinet and field desk comprising'abody portion having a top, bottom and sides and an open front, va combined closure member and desk panel hinged to the top of the 'body portion so asto be 'swin'gable between (510- sure forming and desk tforming positions, and a pivoted latch for supporting the desk panel in horizontal desk 'formin'gzposition when the body rests upon either its bottom or top, said latch 'comprising'a bar provided with opposed notches, and'a pair of spaced pins WithWhiCh said notches selectively cooperate, whereby one notch engages one pin to support said panel in desk forming position when the body rests upon its bottom, and the opposite notch engages the other pin to support said panel in desk forming position when ithejbody restsmron its top.

ZLQArconibinetliiile cabinet andifielil desk comprising a body portion having a top, bottom and sides and an open front; a combined closure .member and ,desk panel hinged to the top of the :bodyportion 'so as to be swingable between closure forming and desk forming positions; a com- :iiins'cl iclosurevmember and base panel hinged to zthe bdttom of the body portion so as to be swing- V able between closure forming and base forming positions; said closure members completely covering lthe front of said body portion when said members are in closure forming position; a pivoted latch forfsupporting the desk panel in horizont'ailposition when the body rests upon either its bottom or top, saidlatch comprising a bar provided with opposed notches, and a pair of spaced pins with-which said notches cooperate, -w'herelzry one notch engages one pin to support said deskpanel in :desk forming position when thebody rests upon its bottom, and theopposite notch engages the other pin to support said desk panel in desk form'ing :position when the body rests upon its top; and 'a pivoted latch forsupporting the base panel in horizontal position when the body "rests upon either its bottom or top, said las't-znamed latch comprising a bar with opposed notches, and a :pair of spaced pins with which said notches cooperate whereby one notch engages one'pin to suppor't saidi'base pane'l in base formng position when "the :body rests upon its bottom, and the :opposite notch engages the other pin to support :sa'id Plast-named panel in horizontal position-spaced irom the ground when the body=rests uponaitsdzop.

T. PADEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file or this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 592,159 Miller Oct. 19, 1897 893,694 Allenson July 21, 1908 1,186,995 Iiabadie'et a1. June 13, 1916 1,349,634 Stern Aug. 17, 1920 1,499,148 Bradford June'24, 1924 1,655,884 Wood Jan. 10, 1928 2,376,666 Crozier r May 22, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countr-y Date 104,271 Grea'tBr itafin Mar. '1, 1917 

